Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that the United States wants the war between Ukraine and Russia to end by June, and that negotiation teams from both sides have been invited to discuss in the US.
Foreign news agencies reported that on Saturday, 7 Feb 2026 GMT+7, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the US wants the war with Russia to end by June, adding that both sides have been invited to negotiate in the US next week.
"America has proposed for the first time that negotiation teams from both sides, Ukraine and Russia, meet in the United States, likely in Miami, within the next week. We have confirmed our participation," Zelensky told reporters.
Neither the US nor Russia has commented on Zelensky’s statement, while Moscow’s forces continue attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, causing widespread power outages amid severe cold weather.
Officials from Ukraine, Russia, and the US just concluded the second round of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, last Friday, without any significant progress.
Zelensky told embedded reporters on Saturday that many difficult issues remain as challenging as before, including territorial concessions Ukraine is under pressure to make.
The Ukrainian leader said both sides discussed for the first time the possibility of a trilateral meeting among the leaders themselves, not just representatives as before, but warned that preparations regarding various elements are necessary for this.
When asked if a timeline had been set for an agreement, Zelensky replied, "The American side said they want to complete everything by June."
"Why before this summer? We understand that the US domestic political issues will be affected," Zelensky said. "These include the midterm elections in November, which could impact the balance of power in the US government."
Meanwhile, Russian attacks in Ukraine continue, with Ukraine’s Energy Minister, Denys Shmyhal, stating that substations controlling electricity flow and high-voltage power lines have been targeted by Russia.
Zelensky revealed that Russia’s attack on Friday night involved over 400 drones and 40 missiles, most of which the Ukrainian military intercepted, but not all.
Source: bbc